Freedom of the Lost
by Kirake
Summary: Even Ratchet said it. Jack was an appointed Prime; imprinted by Vector Sigma, a computer that held everything the Autobots knew. Something with that much power is bound to have secrets. Secrets so dark that not even the Autobots knew they existed.
1. Catalyst

**Hey guys! Sooooo, I know I have been on a very long hiatus, and I am truly sorry for that, but it was just a time of complete and utter hopelessness. I was just very unmotivated with no new ideas, but ALAS! IM BACK! Frolic with me! *flowers***

**Do not fear about my other stories as they are being completely revamped and will be going again soon! I was just very unsatisfied with my past writings that I just couldn't live with it anymore and had to redo. Thanks a million to those who continued to support even without an update to feed their hunger, you guys are the BEST! And I love each N every one of ya! *distributes cyber-skittles***

**So without further ado, here's chappie #1 of Freedom of the Lost! PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! This helps to keep me motivated, as I know if the story is even being read.**

* * *

Jackson Darby was always a laid-back individual. He boasted a relaxed mentality and prospered from thinking situations through before acting on a whim. Rarely has anything, truly, disquieted his thoughts. Well, except for the obvious fact that he was acquainted with a group of alien robots.

But something was nagging at him, almost as if his subconscious was desperately trying to tell him something.

It was 4th hour at Jasper High, the last class period of the day. Looking up at the clock Jack noted that it was 3:03; only a few more minutes until kids would be set loose to enjoy the weekend. Jack sighed.

He was going through something, he knew that well enough. But as to what, exactly, intrigued him. He felt sick, an overwhelming sense that his whole world was bending and shifting around him. It left him feeling smothered and drained, but for no absolute reason.

Despite whatever he was going through he _should_ feel happy, ecstatic even.

Optimus was back! Memories and all restored. Yet, Jack couldn't help but feel as if something was just…**wrong**. Terribly wrong. _Get it together man._ Even his inner voice sounded weak to him. _Maybe it's the weather._

_Yeah_…right.

He ran a clammy hand through his black hair; it came back covered in a light sheen of sweat. Looking at his pale hands he dully noted that they were trembling. He let out another sigh. This one more shaky and unstable then the last. "What's wrong with me?"

**_BRIIING!_**

_Finally!_ Jack whipped a pale hand across his brow to relieve it of perspiration. He was cold but continued to sweat as if he was running a marathon. Retrieving his backpack he stuffed it with papers not caring if they crumpled, he had worse things to worry about.

Exiting the classroom, Jack was a walking zombie as he allowed the torrents of students to push him forward. He barely managed to elbow his way towards his own, dented locker and sighed as he swapped out books.

"Jack!"

Slowing turning to the source of the call his blurry eyes landed on Miko as she raced over to him waving wildly. She stopped short at seeing his condition, her giddy punk-rock attitude draining away almost instantly. "Dude, what happened to you?" Worry laced her words. "You look like-"

Jack quickly cut her off. He just wanted to get home, take some medicine and hit the hay. "I'm fine Miko."

She scoffed at his answer. "I might fake sickness to get out of class but I definitely know what it _really_ looks like." Jack rolled his eyes which he instantly regretted when his world spun with them. He braced himself on a nearby locker. "I just… I just need some s-sleep. I might just have a bug. Nothing serious."

Miko still looked uncertain but otherwise let the subject drop. "Do you think you'll make it too base? We were having that rockin' sleepover remember!"

Jack inwardly flinched; he totally forgot about the 3-day stay at the silo. He, along with Miko and Raf, planned on introducing the bots to some human culture. Help explain some things that they might not have caught onto; but the main reason was a surprise party for Optimus. Everything was set up and arranged. He even got permission from his mom to stay all three days without coming home! A bonus in Jack's eyes, but he still had to call her every night.

He hefted his backpack onto his shoulder, cringing as it almost made him topple over. He slammed his locker shut. "I'll try. If not I'll call Arcee and tell her."

The duo continued to the front of the school, the faint outlines of Bulkhead, Arcee and Bumblebee coming into view through the glass doors. Jack stopped abruptly, unknowing to Miko who burst through the doors and ran to her designated guardian. Jack's eyes widened as he gazed in shock at the motorcycle waiting patiently for him. Images flashed through his mind- cities, but none Jack has ever seen. They looked like cities… from Cybertron. It had to be! The beautiful metal spirals ascending into the night sky were unmistakable.

An electric buzz filled his ears, constant and unnerving. Jack tried shaking his head but the images continued. Mechs and femmes walked around, chattering in the strange language that was Cybertronian but something was wrong. Seriously, wrong.

It was as if he was actually back on Cybertron's roads. Only what Jack was seeing was filled with life and flourishing markets. The exact opposite of what he witnessed when he and Arcee raced across the blackened surface.

The vision shifted and everything seemed to blur when it focused on a certain bot. A blue femme with familiar pink highlights. Jack instantly recognized her as his guardian but she looked different. _Younger_, even. A horrible feeling settled in his gut.

White dominated his sight.

**"Arcee, wait!" A blue and red mech was frantically waving the two-wheeler over, trying to get her attention. **

_Who is that?_ Jack wondered.

_Boomer._

_Boomer?_

_Yes._ How did he know that?

**The blue and pink femme abruptly stopped in her tracks and whirled around on the mech following her. Pure fury was painted on her faceplates. "Wait," She hissed. "Do you think the Decepticons are going to _"wait"_ if they find us? Do you think that the shuttle is going to _"wait"_ when they notice we aren't onboard? Do you insist for one nano-klick that this war is going to wait on us while you rest on your aft!"**

**Boomer stopped a few yards away from her, frowning. "You're not the only one trying to get to the shuttle, Arcee. We have neutrals trying to keep up." Arcee scoffed. "_Yeah_, and what have _they_ contributed to the war besides getting in the way. We don't have the time or the resources to waste on mechs who can't make a simple decision." **

**Boomer's frown deepened. "_Not_ choosing _is_ a decision, Arcee. Besides, that's not your call to make. They need help. Half of them are injured and the rest are mere younglings." The blue and red mech gestured to the small group trailing behind them, sparks dancing off of a majority of their forms. Many were hurt and leaking energon. Servos and pedes were clearly missing. All courtesy to a recent Decepticon attack. They were lagging though as they desperately tried to reach their position.**

**"That's not my problem."**

**Boomer's face turned to that of pure shock. "What?"**

**Arcee turned her back on the mech before marching off, hands clenching and unclenching. "I _said_ that it's. _Not._ _My_. _Problem_."**

His world came crashing down around him. Cybertron phased into Earth and next thing he knew, he was standing in the middle of the hallway of Jasper High.

Jack blinked harshly in a vain attempt to dismiss the painful visions. _Oh God._ He needed to get home! Jack took a frantic step toward the door, fingers just grazing the metal surface before cold dread washed over his entire being. _What is happening to me!_ He wanted to leave but he couldn't bring himself to take another step. There was something about the pink and blue motorcycle waiting for him just a few yards outside the school doors that made his body scream in protest.

An overwhelming sense of distrust.

Jack was confused, he rode on Arcee hundreds of times and clearly knew of the bond he shared with his guardian. But right now... right now he couldn't bring himself to be within five feet of her.

Slowly Jack backed away from the front doors and ran down the hallway he came.

He would find his own way home.

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**Well, I know it's short, but much is soon to follow! So please leave a review and tell me what you thought. I love feedback! See you next time for chappie #2!**

**REVIEW!**


	2. Walking Away

**Hey guys, a longer wait then intended, but school was ending and it took away my social life (yet again…). But now I am FREE! Thus, we can continue with the story. Cyber-skittles for all my lovely reviewers (this is for YOU!) including inkblotRaven, Guest (so mysterious, O_O), Anodythe, H (dat alphabet though, lol! :D), ****BurningRosethorn****, and a special shoutout to ****Truth Behind The Eyes****!**

**Anyway, on with the next chappie for FotL!**

Arcee watched on as Bulkhead took off with Miko screaming, while Bumblebee, beeping the whole way, exited at a much slower pace. Arcee watched them go with a mental frown. She groaned in annoyance, expecting Jack to be on time so that she could get back to base and finish her patrol. She did not want to pull an all-nighter like before.

Human children continued to pour out of Jasper High, but continual scans confirmed that none of them were her charge. He must be talking to an instructor.

Absentmindedly, Arcee began to dwell on the dull buzz she felt flow over her processor not too long ago. Though it was brief, almost instantaneous, it left her stunned. She had felt a deep sense of being exposed, as if Primus' himself was gazing straight into her spark. A shudder coursed through her frame.

If only Jack would hurry up!

The parking lot was near empty, just a few stragglers here and there. Arcee rocked back and forth in unease. It was starting to get dark out. Teachers were now leaving and Jack had yet to even show his face.

Did something happen? Is he sick?

Opening a comm. link she quickly hailed Bulkhead.

::Bulkhead here.::

::Is Miko with you?::

A glass shattering wail of a guitar rang over the open channel making Arcee wish she could transform just to scrunch her face in disgust. She would never understand how humans, including Bulkhead, could listen, let alone enjoy, that slag.

Bulkhead grunted. ::Yeah, but she's busy.::

Arcee rolled mental optics. ::Well, if you could ever so kindly, tell her that this is important.::

There was a brief scuffle and the abrupt end of a solo followed by a shriek of surprise. A few moments later Miko grudgingly answered.

::What'd ya need Arcee?::

The motorcycle ignored her feelings entirely, getting straight to the point. ::Did Jack leave early today? Did June call him in?::

::Uhh––– no? Jack was right next to me when I left after school. But he did look like road-kill when we talked….. He didn't keel over did he?::

::No he did not "keel over". I checked the school and he's not even appearing on my scans.::

::Maybe he walked home.::

::_Bye_, Miko.:: She cut the transmission.

Walk home. Why would Jack walk anywhere nowadays? Was she absurd?

Jack wouldn't walk away from her. Would he?

Was it just him or was it absolutely freezing. Ever since he left Jasper High he has been struck by a chill that settled deep in his bones. He felt as if Death himself came to give him a taste of what really was in store for him in the near future. Jack shivered as he unlocked his front door, stumbling inside.

Turning around to relock it, his vision blurred heavily leaving him fumbling with the door handle instead. With a shaky breath Jack simply dismissed it; locked or unlocked, he didn't care.

What really mattered was making it up the stairs to his room.

_Sleep._

Yes, sleep sounded so good at the moment. A craving set deep in his clouded mind.

_Sleep._

Jack clambered up his stairs and across the hallway to his room. Pushing open the door he shut it behind him taking two steps into the darkened area.

_Sleep. _

Yes, all he had to do was sleep. Jack crumpled to the ground.

_Sleep to make everything go away._

**Please take the time to leave a fav and review! These *ahem* **_**persuade**_** me to update faster as I feel that there are eyes on me. But enough of my fears, thanks to all who enjoy, see you next time!**


	3. The Traitor

**A/N - **

**Hey everybody. On a note about my life and how amazingly slow I am. I was watching some reruns of TFP and just, TRULY, realized how simple and excrutiatingly BORING that racing game the kids play, actually is. It seems like the 64-bit version of GTA and appears to be more damaging to the pysche than QWOP.**

**Aaaaaaanyway, on too the story. And I finally decided that this story is picking up around the end of season 2 ep. 6. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ratchet stared intently at the highlighted screen. Something was not right here. Strange energy signals, if you could call them that, were appearing randomly across the area. Too small to be concerning, yet too frequent to be coincident. Traces of the strange signal periodically interwove enough for him to acquire a decent reading, but he could only "read" them for so long. Ratchet sighed. Whatever it was, it was proving to be more of a nuisance than anything else.

Miko's voice rose over the blaring speakers of the small TV, disrupting the aged medic out of his musings. "They cheat! They cheat I tell you! I was in the lead!"

Once more, Miko just lost one of many games to the small hacker who sat smugly on the couch as she ranted her mind away. Apparently it wasn't her lack of skill, but rather the game's fault, and something called "lag". _Humans. _Ratchet thought. A sudden roar of an engine brought a glimmer of hope for the ambulance. If it was Bulkhead then he could come and retrieve his charge and take her wailing - _elsewhere_. If it was Bumblebee,… pits, he would _make_ him take her.

Glancing over at the small entry, he tried not to show too much enthusiasm, only for his frown to deepen when Arcee pulled in. She transformed smoothly, striding over to the silently fuming medic. He nodded stiffly, out of politeness. "Arcee."

"Ratchet." She looked worn, or at least exhausted. Running a quick scan over her, he concluded that there was no physical taxation running through her systems. But that opened more questions than answers.

Ratchet turned back to his usual duties, though still kept a silent eye on the drained femme. "Is everything alright?" he tested.

"Have you seen Jack?" she blurted.

Ratchet blinked at the abruptness of her statement, optics winking on and off slowly. "No I haven't Arcee. Did he not attend his educational center today?"

She rolled her optics. "It's called "school" Ratchet, and from what I was told, he was there all day. He even talked to Miko a klik before she came out."

Now that was concerning. "How long did you wait?"

"_Hours_."

"Did you check the surrounding area? His home?"

Arcee glared. "Don't tell me how to do my job. I've searched everywhere."

He scoffed in obvious disagreement. "Well, clearly not everywhere, else you wouldn't be asking me. But it is odd that Mrs. Darby has not called concerning him being missing either." He brought up the number to reach her and opened a secured channel before dialing.

It rang a few times before someone picked up. **::Hello?::**

Ratchet cleared his throat before responding back, glaring as yet another flash of energy zipped across the screen. "Hello, Mrs. Darby. I was calling concerning Jack. Have you seen him?"

**::Yes, actually. He's upstairs in his room. Whatever you guys did today completely wiped him out.::** She sighed deeply.** ::At first I was worried that something was wrong. He left the doors open and dropped his stuff all over the place. I found him sleeping on the floor. I asked if everything was alright, but after a few moments he just got up, walked over to his bed and simply fell back asleep.::**

Ratchet nodded. "As long as he is with you, that is good. I'll tell Arcee to stop her worrying."

He ended the call and returned to his work, saying nothing. He did not wished to be bothered anymore, especially to locate a human that _clearly_ was never missing in the first place. He heard the two-wheeler huff indignantly before stomping off to her quarters. She would talk to Jack later.

_Yelling is more like it._

* * *

Soundwave stood motionless as he worked diligently on the bridge of the Nemesis. He had to work twice as hard to help ease the faction back into something resembling order. The large streams of data filing across the screen made him think of what exactly caused it. That being the abrupt absence of Starscream. A small sense of delight registered in his processor at the thought. The "tragic" loss of the SIC was a gift and a curse in itself. Not that he couldn't manage, of course. He _was_ the Spy Master of the Decepticons after all.

It would have simply been more,… **_convenient_**, if he would have let everyone know of his foolish little plan to go rogue. At least then he wouldn't have to back track from all the past dealings the seeker commanded to all of the existing problems that have piled up as a result. All of this on top of the fact that everything Starscream did worked wonders in his helm but for everyone else it registered as illogical and inefficient. Though he had to grudgingly give the silver mech some credit. The armadas and explorative science divisions were performing beyond expectations and even some of his little projects were proving to be self-sufficient.

...

But everything else was _dreadful_ and a pain in the aft.

As the silent TIC mused in his thoughts he intercepted and filed away brief and small energy signatures phasing in and out of scanner range. There were a few unique algorithms Starscream invented to detect and interpret such things, but at the moment that was not his cup of energon. It made him wonder, just where was that sniveling traitor anyway?

* * *

Disgusting.

Pitiful, weak and absolutely revolting.

Those were the best words he could come up with too describe the red, sticky liquid running down his pedes. Here he was, the great Air Commander, using his talons to scrape off the remnant of bone and cartilage that happened to work its way into his inner wiring. He stumbled across another camp of humans in this wilderness and the one thing he didn't need was them screaming all the way home to alert their government of his whereabouts. _For a species so small, they are upsettingly loud. _He grumbled.

He remembered easily enough how they had stumbled across him as he was recharging. He was leant across a tree large enough to withstand his weight, claws outstretched and optics dimmed. They were convinced he was dead but completely unaware that he was slowly returning to the land of the living. His systems came online, one-by-one, as he kept track of the ignorant humans prodding here, touching there and getting their grimy little fingerprints all over his finish! One of them even had the audacity to climb on top of his frame, pulling out its phone to start documenting his shameful predicament. That one was the first to die. Starscream smirked as he recalled the gruesome events that were quick to follow his awakening. Their screams blending into one another as he tore them into pieces. All was fine and dandy until he made the stupid decision to step on a straggler trying to make a mad-dash for safety.

His smile disappeared as fast as it had come.

He remembered the revolting squelching of bone and meaty innards breaking and popping from the pressure. It was satisfying until he felt the aftermath worming its way into his thrusters.

Starscream shook his helm, not wanting to dwell on the subject anymore. He flicked more remnants off his digit before wiping it off on the grass. He glowered. A growl building up in his chassis, reverberating everything around him.

He shouldn't be here.

He should be sitting on a throne made from the frames of his enemies as he ruled over the Decepticons, conquering everything in sight. A small smile worked its way onto his lips as he plotted. Oh, how he would make them all writhe in pain as he would stand victorious overall. But whatever dastardly deeds popped in his processor, he knew that it would always start with Megatron. He had not officially decided how he would dispose of him. But he was certainly entertaining the thought of taking away Megatron's flight, much like how he is now, so that he could wallow in self-pity and rot in some miserable hole. Then leave him stranded on this wretched planet as he disintegrated Earth from orbit, forcing Soundwave to record the very event of his _beloved_ _master_ being burned with the very creatures he despises before blowing him to pieces as well.

Oh that would be glorious. _A worthy death for incompetent fools._

Even though the thought always pleased him, his smile never really met his face. He glowered at his hands as he rubbed off some dried blood, watching absently as the flakes fell to the forest floor. "One day, they will _all_ suffer for what they did to me." He whispered, long giving up on cleaning himself until he could locate a body of water.

He sat back against a tree mulling over his recent life's choices. Which, in his eyes, weren't all that great. His wings stretched uselessly behind him, a painful reminder of what he once was. Of what he could once achieve. He could only imagine his wing brothers now - mocking him for his idiocy, especially Skywarp.

He looked to the sky, memories of his past flitting across his processor as the sun shimmered down on organic and titan alike. It seeped through the cracks of the tree branches, birds soaring above casting shadows akin to seekers in flight. Primus did he miss them. The peaceful noises of nature helped to ease the mech away from the pain growing in his spark and after a few moments of silence, he began shutting down his systems one by one. Red optics dimmed as he prepared to enter stasis.

SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS: INITIATED

DEFENSE SYSTEMS: POWERING DOWN

WEAPONS: OFFLINE

ENERGON LEVELS: 37%

_Slag_. That was 2.73% wasted on those infernal creatures. The diluted energon substitute he has been using hardly compares to real energon. His energy reserves are running low and he can't afford to waste anymore on useless activities or such mundane things. Every motion he decides to make will cost him, for a price.

EXTERNAL SYSTEMS: POWERING DOWN

EXTERNAL SYSTEMS: FUNCTIONING AT LOWERED POWER SETTINGS

PROXIMITY SENSORS: POWERING DOWN

INTERNAL SYSTEMS: POWERING DOWN

***WARNING***: UNADVISED TO PROCEED

**_Override_**

PROCESSING…

INTERNAL SYSTEMS: POWERING DOWN

ENERGY SIGNATURE DETECTED

**_Wait, what… _**

INTERNAL SYSTEMS: OVERRIDING BASE PROGRAMS

STASIS IMMINENT

**_Override!_**

STASIS INITIATED

Struggling to bring his systems back online, he tried to pinpoint just what was registering on his scanners, but it was a lost cause. As his optics dimmed more and more he frantically sought to evaluate his current situation. There was a flash and Starscream caught a streak of purple light. It hung about 30ft in the air, seemingly braced on a tree branch, fading in and out before completely disappearing. His optics shut down, throwing him into darkness.

ENERGY SIGNATURE LOST

STASIS CONFIRMED

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**Hey guys, hope you liked the new chappie to FotL. Please leave a like and click that button to leave a review! Special thanks to all my peeps who reviewed last time! Your continued support works wonders to me and my stories. I 've had quite a few PMs on suggestions for this story and I will see how I can weave those in to make it more enjoyable!**

**Again, please review and look out for the next chappie!**


	4. Abnormal Anomalies

**A/N - **

**Moving forward. And thank you swimfeared for letting me know the chapter didn't initially upload. You're the best! My apologies for any confusion.**

* * *

Jack woke up to the sun entering his room and the beautiful aroma of eggs and bacon. A soft breeze wafted in and warmed his body, an instant relief compared to how he was feeling earlier.

Earlier. When was earlier?

Immediately after school right?

Turning his head he gazed at his night stand and noted the time. 9:28 AM

_So it's... morning?_

Not really feeling up to busting that particular mystery, he rolled out of bed and waddled downstairs. The closer he got to the kitchen, the harder his stomach growled. As he rounded the corner he smiled. His mom was sitting at the kitchen table, newspaper in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other. She didn't hear him come in until he was scraping some eggs onto a plate.

She gave him a warm smile. "Morning honey. Are you feeling better?"

With a fully loaded plate and a piece of toast hanging out his mouth he shrugged. "I feel fine." She gave him a loaded look, he smiled weakly. "Really mom, I'm fine. I must have eaten something that made me sick. No worries." Sitting down at the table he began to scarf down his breakfast, completely missing the agitated look of his mother.

"I most certainly will worry. You were in bad shape last night and almost gave me a heart attack! I think you're over stressed and should relax today. No base adventures tonight."

_What! _He tried to object. "But mom- "

"No 'buts', no snark. You need to recover and I refuse to go treat other patients if my own son is in need. _Understand_?"

Jack groaned but relented. Just how was he going to break it to the team. "Yes ma'am."

"Good. It's not a punishment Jack."

_Really? I couldn't tell._

With a final sip of her drink June finished her breakfast before gathering her things. She was dressed in her normal scrubs and held various files in her hand. Jack moaned in embarrassment when she leant over and ruffled his hair. "I'm off to work and I'll be back late. One of the nurses is on leave and I'll be pulling a double-shift."

She planted a kiss on his head. "Remember what I said." She stressed. "Rest."

"I got it mom."

She gave him one last loving smile before grabbing her car keys and headed out the front. With that he finally allowed himself to loosen up. It was quiet, just him and a plate of bacon.

He tried to enjoy the peace of it all, but boredom was coming. _Brace yourselves. _But through it all he could only think of one question.

"Now what?"

* * *

~~~ At Base ~~~

Miko stopped what was quickly becoming a "historical" guitar solo, one worthy of the ages, to pull out her madly buzzing phone. Ratchet sighed in relief.

She scanned her notifications and opened the newest text message.

_Please don't be the host parents. Please don't be the host parents. Please dont be- ...Jack?_

"It's Jack."

Raf perked up from his computer. "Really, is he ok?"

Miko glanced over the message before reading the message aloud. "He said he won't be coming today but will make up for it on Sunday."

Raf sighed in disappointment. "He's not going to miss Optimus' party, is he?"

Miko rolled her eyes before typing up a quick reply and hitting 'send'. "How should I know, he keeps dumping us because he's sick."

"I think that's a liable excuse Miko."

"Not here it's not! I mean, how are we gonna have a rocking sleepover if he keeps sleeping at home." She whined. Raf smiled, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "It's not that bad Miko. Besides, he said he'll be here tomorrow. That means he'll make it for the best part!"

Miko huffed in annoyance before bringing her guitar back into position. She turned the volume to the max and raised her hand to strum the note. Ratchet mentally prepared himself for the tragic future that lay ahead.

Miko smirked. "Yeah he better." Her hand came down.

* * *

Boredom.

It was everything and everywhere at once. No amount of TV, videogames or Netflix would change that. Thanks to Youtube he even had an extra 2 hours of cat videos under his belt but nothing was working. Jack grumbled in irritation. Why was he so antsy, was he still sick?

_NO. _He thought harshly. He wouldn't allow it. Whatever broke his system down to the point that it messed with his pysche was unacceptable. He was still having trouble with what exactly transpired at his school. Was it some sort of a breakdown? He didn't want to think about it, but he did know one thing. Watching a small kitten paw curiously at the camera made him determined.

He had to get out of this house.

Despite his mother's wishes he freshened up and headed out. A walk wouldn't be bad for him, right? It was therapeutic, there were no bot or cons involved, miles away from base and it was helping him "_relax_". He was doing everything his mother asked and forbid at once.

Awesome.

After mentally going through the "Jack Promotion/Keep Mom Happy List" he looked for any loopholes in his plan that would cause issues later. When he couldn't immediately find any he locked the house and proceeded to walk to the center of town. From there he made for the North Regional library not too far away from his school. North Regional Library was a fairly large building only rivaled by the decent government office across the street but at least it wasn't a waste of space like the other. He smiled at that.

Approaching the large concrete steps that led to the double doors, Jack ascended a few before sitting down on one of the landings. It was cool from the shade but still nice to the touch.

As he gazed at the scene below him he couldn't help but notice that everything was so calm and serene. Groups of friends were messing around and a few parents scolded their children when they tried to play in the street. It was funny actually, how so much was happening that could mean life or death and the average person was none the wiser. Being surrounded by such blissful ignorance was, dare he say it, refreshing. Yes, he loved his new found friends and wouldn't trade a thing to change that. But it was distressing all the same. For god's sake, his mom could have died! If Arcee didn't come around and stop her from becoming spider chow, he couldn't fathom what state he would be in.

_Arcee._

Gosh, he still didn't know how to take that. He has yet to try and address that issue and Jack knew that there were hundreds of calculated questions running around that helm of hers. Should he even bring it up? _How could I possibly explain any of that to her, _he thought. He wasn't even sure that what he saw was real. It could have been some weird side effect from being stressed, like his mother mentioned. _Right?_

_**Right.**_

Yeah, he was running for his life just the day before, he'll just knock it off as some weird form of PTS. No need to bring up trivial matters that _didn't _matter, especially when the bots were working so hard to keep his planet from falling into the wrong hands.

There was a prickly sensation and Jack realized his legs fell asleep. Just how long was he sitting here? Pulling out his phone he read the time. Not knowing when he actually got here he could only guess and say that he was lost in his thoughts for about two hours. He couldn't even focus that much during class, but there was a reason for that.

Deciding that now was as good as any to start heading back home, Jack stood up. Dusting his jeans off and trying to work some blood into his limbs. He started down the stairs.

Something bright flashed across his eyes and Jack had to catch himself before he toppled down two whole flights of stairs. He shook his head. _What was that!_

Blinking roughly he tried to gauge whether it would happen again. Frowning he grabbed tight to the nearest railing and slowly descended the stairs. He looked like an old man, he was sure of it and to make matters worse a group of girls started making their way up the very steps he was struggling with.

There were four of them, two he recognized from school. One was a short blonde that hung around Vince and his gang of idiots. She constantly sent snide remarks his way and he didn't have a single memory of her not whining. The other was none other than Ciara. Crap. He was huddled over, waddling and taking stairs one at a time. He could only imagine what he looked like.

A nasally voice interupted his thoughts. "Slow down there partner. Wouldn't want you to break a hip." The small posse started laughing, except Ciara who only smiled. "Hey Jack."

Woah, she talked to him first this time. _And she remembered my name. _Jack was ecstatic but something on the very edge of existence could care less. It drawled low.

_**Amazing.**_

Isn't it! This was great! Now. If only he could recover and smooth talk his way to victory.

The edges of his sight started fading in and out. Jack stood up straight before leaning on one leg with his hands in his pockets. Not the best deicision seeing as how he was unstable as it is, but he looked good. Well,... _hoped _was more like it. He tried to steel his nerves. _Classic cool guy Jack, not weird teen having a moment. _He tried to ignore the weird blanket trying to creep further into his line of sight but it was getting harder and harder to do. It was changing the world around him. Just like before.

He flicked his hair back. "Oh, Ciara, didn't see you there." He winced. It sounded lame even to him. One of the girls gave a muffled 'eew'.

_**Smooth.**_

"Are you ok? You look hurt."

His sight was wavering greatly, he tried to say something else. Something better.

One of the girls rolled her eyes before tugging Ciara up the stairs. "C'mon Ciara, we don't have time for this loser." She tried to protest but was ultimately huddled further and further away from him. Her figure started to distort and phase into something else, something... metallic? _What? _A wave of nausea hit him.

Jack wanted to throw up, right then and there but held back. He looked back up at Ciara and was thankful that she looked normal and clear. She waved at him. "I'll see you around." And with that she was gone.

Jack stared at the empty void and tried to reel himself back in. He should really get home. And with that he continued his desperate hobble. He made it down the street and around the corner when it hit him again. But this time he was prepared and saw it for what it was. White didn't just flash and blind him but instead everything seemed to brighten rapidly to the point of giving off the illusion that it was "flashing" by.

_Why_ he was going through this was anybody's guess. He sure as hell didn't know.

_**Adjustments.**_

But for whatever that reason may be, it had to stop. It was driving him insane!

He was halfway home now. But it was taking him far longer than it should have. Weird shapes were appearing now. They seemed translucent but stood tall. It was when Jack was crossing a busy intersection did a weird dimness start taking over. It was as if someone was slowly turning off a light until it got darker and darker. It was here that those strange shapes started becoming clear. They were broken pieces of jagged metal strewn across a desolate landscape.

_A desolate landscape in the middle of Jasper. _He needed help, this wasn't right.

When his sight wasn't returning he started to panic. He was crossing a street and couldn't see! He quickly rushed blindly to the other side, hoping he wouldn't get hit.

There were mechs and femmes now. Mere flashes but still distinguishable.

What's happening to me? What is this?

_Visions? No!_

_**Memories. **_

Whose?

_**Not yours.**_

Jack tried to blink away the haze but nothing seemed to work. His eyes burned and his head was throbbing out of control. The memories were getting thicker, covering his true sight. He was losing grips on the real world, he couldn't see!

Oh god, I can't see!

_*WHAM!*_

Electricity zipped through his head and pain exploded across his face. He hit the ground. Slowly the physical illusion faded away to a more tolerable state before disappearing completely. Jack almost let out a laugh in victory. If all it takes to fix my life is to run into a wall every now and then, he would do so faithfully.

He heard shuffling, then the wall started to groan, "Bloody hell". Ok, maybe not a wall, but he'll shoot for one next time. "Are you serious pal?"

Well this wasn't good.

He quickly stood to his feet and tried to assist the girl on the ground. She swatted his hand away in frustration and did it herself. She was tall, like him which was a shocker. What was worse was that that meant her eyes were glaring hardcore into his. And boy was it intense. Jack shuffled nervously.

"I am _so _sorry. I didn't see where I was going."

"Didn't see? You were looking right at me!"

Jack rubbed his neck in embarrassment. "About that-?"

Her eyes narrowed, "Are you high?"

Jack spluttered. "What? No!" She didn't look convinced. "Look. I'm sorry I ran into you, but I really should be going."

"Whatever."

Jack wasted no time before turning and heading home. He was all too happy to put this entire situation behind him.

* * *

**A/N - **

**Thank you all for your continued support. I've been having some issues with uploading, some of my break lines aren't showing up, yada yada. I'll just have to go back and fix a few things. Please leave a like and a review, they keep me motivated. Much love!**


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